A Magician's Secret
by Airame Phantom
Summary: Sam's third cousin thrice removed on her mother's side named May comes to visit. What are her reasons and why does it seem like she's hiding something? Is she hitting on Danny?.! DS
1. Rich Girl

A/N: I got this idea because...well, I have no clue. I was daydreaming and a whole bunch of scenes came clashing into my mind and this is the result!**

* * *

**

**A Magician's Secret**

**Chapter One**

**Rich Girl**

**

* * *

**

"Woo hoo!" Tucker exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air. "We get to sleep over at Sam's house!"

"Only because of the project," Danny reminded him. "We have to figure out how another friend lives, not how to throw a party at a rich girl's house."

"Why did you guys choose me, anyhow?" Sam asked. They were all at lunch after having come out of their science class with Ms. Ross, their teacher. She'd left them a project to do. They were studying the many levels of each kingdom and the teacher had explained that it's just like a country/state/city/community/neighborhood/family/person thing except with the animal kingdoms and not people. So now they had to choose a certain person to research on and then had to keep writing about the other six levels beginning from study on that one person. Pretty complicated, huh?

"Because we know almost nothing about you!" Danny said. "Sure, we know some stuff, but how is it we just barely found out you're rich?"

"And besides," Tucker said as the trio walked over to their usual table with their lunches. "I've always wanted to figure out how the other side lives!"

"Oh, gee thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better," Sam grumbled.

Tucker grinned. Danny looked at the teena nd shook his head. Tucker had been looking forward to this all week. He really wanted to explore Sam's house for some odd reason. He didn't udnerstand all to well why, though. Danny shrugged it off and began to eat his lunch.

The group sat down and began normal conversation. The rest of the day went by smoothly with only a couple of ghost attacks from the Box Ghost. Yes, both were from the Box Ghost. Now the group finally retired for the day as they walked the street to the Sam's place.

"I seriously do not know how the Box Ghost keeps getting out. I didn't even open the thermos once today!" Danny exclaimed.

"I'm sure that as dense as he is, even he can come up with an escape plan," Sam said with some minor sarcasm and humor in her voice.

"Yeah, well it's kind of annoying," Danny mumbled.

"Lighten up, guys," Tucker laughed, throwing an arm around each of his friends shoulders. The teen stumbled, but kept walking. "We're gonna be living the life tonight!

"Don't be so sure," Danny said.

"He's right, Tuck," Sam agreed, nodding feebly. Tucker continued to grin and soon enough, they were at Sam's house. And just in time too! Rain began to come down harshly from the dark, gray sky.

"Whoa! That was uncalled for!" Danny exclaimed, closing the door behind him.

"I know," Sam said. "But I really don't mind the rain. I kinda like it."

At this, Tucker quickly put down his backpack and began to rummage through it before revealing a notebook and pen. He clicked the top of the pen and began to write.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Taking notes of course!" Tucker exclaimed. "The sooner we finish, the sooner we get to party!" the boy grinned with sheer gladness and continued to write until Sam whacked him on the back of the head.

"Ouch!"

Off towards the edge of town, however, someone was making their way into the city of Amity Park. Hidden beneath a long, black cape/cloak and face hidden behind a large black top hat, the figures shakes on a side-grin with a wicked intent. "Thanks for the second chance," she says quietly, before started down the street towards the only one place she'd ever been to in Amity Park: the Manson Mansion. Her black sandal-like shoes thudded and splashed against the wet pavement and the rain made pat-pat sounds on her top hate and cape.

* * *

E/N: Short, I know, but a total cliffie at the end XD! Review if you want! But I do reccommend to try to push the pretty purple button! It's loads of fun! 

--Airamé Phantom


	2. May

A/N: I drew a picture of May, but for some odd reason, I kept drawing her top hat in the way of her face :( So You can't see her face XD! I'll put up a link once I feel like it!**

* * *

**

**A Magician's Secret**

**Chapter Two**

**May!**

**

* * *

**

Back at the Manson Mansion, Danny, Sam, and Tucker were all sitting a three-sided circle on Sam's living room floor. Each had either a notepad, notebook, or folder in one of their hands, a pen or pencil in the other.

"Okay," Danny mumble,d not looking up from his blue notebook. "Sam, the genus would be your last name, right?"

"Mhm," Sam mumbled. It had been nearly two hours or so since anyone else spoke. And if someone did speak, it was usually consulting their project, or another homework assignment.

"Almost done..." Danny said quietly as he wrote down the last thing he needed for his chart. "Samantha...El...iza...beth...Manson," he murmured as he wrote. He dotted the 'i' in Elizabeth and grinned at his paper.

"Ugh, do you have to write my full name?" Sam asked.

"Sorry, need to be distinctive from all your other family members," Danny said. Sam sighed.

"Which one of you finished Mr. Folluka's stupid math assignment?" Tucker asked.

"I did!" Sam said, holding up a hand.

"And showed their work on how to get the answers," Tucker quickly added. Sam put her hand down. Sam had a thing for always using mental math. And, no matter how long the equation was, she always got it right. Tucker looekd at Danny hopefully, but the teen shook his hea.d

"Sorry, Tuck," Danny said. "I only have the first five problems done. And it took me a whole hour just to do them."

Tucker groaned and fell back into the base of the couch. He looked at his math paper, it having only the first problem complete. "I'm never gonna get this thing straight," he said.

"It's not that hard, Tucker," Sam disagreed. "Just conversions."

"I can't even spell conversions some times!" Tucker exclaimed. "How do they expect us to complete this stuff?"

"You just have to memorize all the different-"

Sam's voice was cut off but the sound of buzzing, then darkness and silence. "You've got to be kidding me!" Tucker's vocie rang out.

The lights had gone out. The lamps, digital clocks, head-lights, everything. They were in complete darkness. Even the sound of the refrigerator humming stopped. "Great, a black-out," Sam hissed. "Danny, a little help?" There was the sound of shuffling fabric and someone taking a short step.

"Uh...oh, right," Danny mumbled and there were more sounds of shuffling, this time of paper. Then, a soft glow began to illuminate the area. Sam and Tucker came back into view.

The teens gazed at each other for a hot-second when something else surprised him: lightning.

It flashed suddenly, without warning, illuminating even that space that Danny's ectoplasmic energy failed to light. Then, came lightning's partner in crime: thunder. Sam yelped in surprise. Danny's eyes shifted away from the window where he could see the tiny streams of water from the rain crawl down the glass. "Just thunder," he whispered, voice soft. He looekd right back towards where Sam used to be and he froze. "Sam?" His eyes ran across the room for her.

He saw Tucker, but no Sam. "She made a run for it," Tucker explained softly, and pointed at the couch. Danny side-frowned and stood up from his spot. He walked around the couch and noticed Sam sitting here, face burried into her knees, hugging her knees close to her body. She was shivering. Tucker came up from the other side of the couch and Danny motioned towards the fire place in the living room. Tucker nodded and walked away.

Danny, meanwhile, went to sit next to Sam. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them loosely. Sam could feel his body warmth next to her. "Sam?" he asked quietly, slowly putting a hand on her shoulder. Sam nearly jumped, but managed to keep her nerves under control. Danny hesitated as Sam looked at him now. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Uhm...uh...yeah," Sam said, trying to force a smile. But her time to fake the smile was cut short when anotehr sound of thunder and another flash of lighting filled the room. Sam found herself throwing herself into Danny, wrapping her around his neck and knocking him off balance.

Danny was surprised by this, but didn't fight her. He fell back onto the ground with a thud and Sam on top of him, clutching him close to her.

"What was that?" Tucker's voice came. A strange, red glow filled the room, and the warmth the new fire in the fire place warmed up the people inside the large living room.

"Sam," Danny whispered, trying to pick himself up while still have an arm wrapped around the girl's shoulders. "Sam, come on..."

Tucker appeared around the couch and he grinned at the two teens. "If you wanted some alone time, you could have just said so," he laughed.

Sam's eyes snapped opened and she brougth herself up at arm's length. Her cheeks flared red and her ears felt hotter than the air around her. Danny blinekd a couple of times and stared up at her.

Sam finally snapped into an apologizing fit. "I'm so sorry!" she shouted, climbing off Danny and scooting away a foot or so, giving him enough room to sit up.

Danny propped himself up on his elbows and only gazed at her. "I didn't mean to, I...," she continued, stammering and stumbling all over her words.

"It's okay," Danny cut in, now sitting down, legs crossed into a horiztonal 'X'. Sam looked at him. She could see that Danny's cheeks were also a slight pink color. Her eyes scanend his face, then her brought her gaze back down in a short nod.

Tucker snicked from behind and said then, "Are you afraid of thunder, Sam?"

"Uhm..." Sam said uncertainly. Her gaze shifted towards the left and she said no more.

"I thought you liked the rain," Danny mumbled.

"Rain, yes," Sam said softly. "Thunder, no."

Danny smiled sympathetically and reached over to put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. Sam looekd at him, frozen by his warm touch. Danny grinned at her. He let his hand drop from her shoulder, then turned to Tucker. "What do you guys say we make some hot chocolate?"

"That sounds great!" Tucker agreed.

"But there's no electricity," Sam said.

"You only have an electric stove?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah," Sam said. "My parents think it's dangerous to have a gas one."

"Well, then we'll cook like cavemen and women for once! We've got a fire-place, don't we?" Danny said, smiling as he stood. He extended a hand towards Sam. "Come on, we need your help to get around this place." Sam smiled and took his hand. He pulled her up and all three teens walked into the kitchen.

"And if there's more thunder, you can always cling to Danny for dear life! I'm sure he won't mind!" After some snapping and shooting of comments, the teens amde it to the kitchen with no ill-effect.

* * *

Only about thirty minutes later, they all sat in front of the fire in the fire place. There was a pot hanging from a horizontal pole that Danny and Sam had put together - Danny blasting small holes into the wall of the fire place, and Sam putting in the pole.

Tucker rubbed his arms, cold even with the fire. Sam sat close to Danny, leaning into the boy, the fire and warmth making her sleepy after the stress the thudner had caused her. Danny didn't really mind. He sort of liked her being that close. And the occasional death squeeze on his arm didn't really bother him either.

Tucker reached up towards the fire with his palms facing it. "Geeze, I'm freezing," he murmured.

A smile tugged a the corners of Danny's mouth, and he sighed. "Tonight has been quite a day, huh?" he said softly.

Then a sound coming from the door had all of them jumping to their feet, even Sam who was half-asleep. They stared wide-eyed at the door of the Mansion as someone pounded on it.

"You're parents are on a business trip until friday, right?" Danny asked the girl clinging to his arm for dear life.

"Uh-huh," she said.

"Who could it be?" Tucker asked.

"Only one way to find out," Danny replied. Sam gulped. Everything seemed to be happening just like in a horror movie. And though she was a big horror movie fan, it didn't mean she liked this plot. Even the dialogue sounded like some crack-pot, nutcase, horror fanatic wrote it.

She walked with Danny and Tucker towards the door. Danny put one hand on the knob and with the otehr turned the football-shaped locking device. There was a short, soft click and he turned the knob. The door opened and standing there in the rain, was someone clad in a black cape around her shoulders and reached to her bare shins. On her hair, a large top hat.

"What the..." Tucker murmured.

"Just who are you?" Danny aske.d The rain still poured down harshly, and the wind was a cold, sharp blade of wind that whipped at their flesh.

The figure lifted her gaze and looekd at the three teens. She side-grinend and Sam gasped. The girl had red-painted lips and sharp, clear violet eyes. Her hair was ling and black and pulled back into what seemed a bun on the back of her head. But trailing from her bangs to the bun, were streaks of silver-white hair.

"May!"

* * *

E/N: eh heh heh heh...I got no comment :D

--Airamé Phantom


	3. What Are You Doing Here, May?

A/N: Uhm...at last! my inspiration burns with the light of a forest fire! (I'm lame :D) Here's your chappie! I dunno if you like this story, Evelyn, but I don't feel like up-dating anything else. Besides, this is about to get fluffy!

**

* * *

**

**A Magician's Secret**

**Chapter Three**

**What Are You Doing Here, May?**

**

* * *

**

"May?!" Tucker and Danny exclaimed, gasping the name.

"Howdy," the strange girl said. Her voice trembled and her cheeks were pinkish-red from being in the cold. The boys had only heard short stories about the strange girl who was Sam's third cousin thrice removed on her mother side. She always told them she was a pain in the neck. That she believed in real magic and claimed to be the best magician: better than Houdini, even. Of course, they'd never actually seen the girl. Until now.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked sharply, frustration apparent on her facial features. May looked up at her, her smile vanishing. She put on a hurt expression.

"Why, cousin, won't you….at least allow me inside? 'tis freezing out here," she said. To make her point a bit more obvious, May made an exaggerated 'brrr!' kind of sound and shivered.

Sighing exasperatedly, Sam moved to the side and allowed her entrance. The boys side-stepped as well and watched as the girl clambered in, a bit uneasy on her feet. Sam slammed the door shut against the wind and rain and ru8bebd her hands together before placing them beneath her arms for warmth. May looked around the living room, it's high ceilings, and warm fire place. She, too, rubbed her hands together, then began to take off her cape/cloak, then slowly, her hat. She placed her cape to dry on the coat rack, and kept her hat strictly in front of her, spinning it by the rim.

Danny and Tucker gazed at Sam uncertainly as the teen stomped up to May and turned her around by the shoulder until her dazed violet eyes staring at her cousin. "Once again I ask you," Sam said harshly. "Why are you here, May?"

May smirked and half-closed her eyes to add a smug effect to her expression. She sniffed the air, paying no mind to Sam and turning on her own accord, as if following the sweet scent. "Is that hot chocolate?" she asked softly.

* * *

Nearly thirty minutes later, the teens sat on the two sofas in the living room, the only light the ember glowing in the fire place, illuminating their faces and bodies, warming them. But drenching them in an ominous, unearthly glow that only set Sam into thinking May was hiding something. And something big. 

Said cousin was sitting on the couch opposite the one where Sam, Danny, and Tucker were sitting on, sipping from a blue mug with hot chocolate, and a warm, blue blanket over her shoulders that Danny had provided from what he was going to use as he and Tucker slept over at Sam's place.

May smiled, holding the mug near her face, feeling the warm aroma caress her cheeks and numbed face. She opened her previously closed eyes and stared at the trio of friends before her. They shared a long silence as she drank up the last of the hot chocolate. Right then, a sudden light blinded them all as lightning streaked the sky outside. Thunder sounded soon afterwards, and Sam gripped Danny's arm tightly. In turn, the boy held her as well. Her reactions had gotten less fatal (she almost coked him once) but had not entirely dispersed as of yet.

May grinned at her cousin's fright. "I see you never got over your astraphobia," she said softly. Her voice was a smooth alto-type voice. Thick with eloquence and a gentle touch of smugness. Her eyes were filled with a mysterious glint of mischief and knowing. But at the same time, a type of hollowness that made you feel uneasy when those violet orbs met your own. Sam glared at her, but May only smiled further.

"It's good to see you again, Samantha," May added.

Sam stared at her. It was more a scowling glare, really. She didn't look at all happy. "I wish I could say the same," she replied harshly. "But I can't."

Danny tightened his grip on her hand (she hadn't let go at all during the whole time. Tucker was the one that had to serve May some hot chocolate). Sam looked at him, and met his cold stare. The message she got from his gaze was to try to be a bit more kind to her cousin. Sighing, Sam turned away from him and stared at the ground. "Sorry," she mumbled, then her eyes flickered up to her. "I didn't mean that."

May smiled at the duet of teens, then wrapped the blanket tighter around her. "And you're wondering I'm here, I guess?" she asked.

"Yes, we are," Tucker piped up. She had to admit, the girl was cute. She had a very strange sense of style, but it was also very close to Sam's. her shirt was a simple black blouse without any sleeves and collar. She also had a black skirt and black sandal-like shoes to match. Her cape and hat were also dark in color, silverfish lining inside the to match her silver-streaked hair, which was let loose and hanging below her shoulders. She smiled.

"I ran away from home," she said, closing her eyes. Before Sam could object to her staying in the Manson Mansion, may quickly added, "Just for a few days. I don't want to go home until I've figured out some stuff. Plus, I won't be a bother I'll stay out of your way. I may be here only a few weeks. In the mean time, I'll be sneaking around the city, maybe even go to school for a short while."

Her explanation was short and curt, and her eyes did not falter in keeping up that emotionless glare. Sam only gazed at her once she'd finished, then frowned. "You're gonna have to take care of yourself. I don't want unnecessary annoyances and you know I mean it. You're gonna clean up after yourself. Tucker and Danny will staying over for a couple of days for our science project. Got that?" she asked, keeping her own explanation curt.

May seemed to hold disbelief on her face, but it soon evolved into a smile. "I can stay? Thanks, Sam!" she exclaimed.

"Don't thank me yet," Sam grumbled.

Danny sighed deeply and looked at his digital watch. 9:30 PM "It's getting late guys," he whispered. "We should start heading off to sleep now."

"Good! I'm beat!" Tucker exclaimed and sat up. He looked at May then. His expression switched to Sam. "what room is she gonna sleep in?" he asked softly. They'd set up separate rooms for all three of them in vacant bedrooms on the top floor of the mansion. Surely there was an extra room…..

"There's the guestroom," Sam cut in. "It's not as great as yours, but it should do." She looked at May, then stood. "Come on, I'll show to it."

May nodded and stood up, then gazed at Danny. She bowed a little. "Thanks for letting me sue your blanket," she whispered, and smiled fondly. Danny nodded, and he stood up, she straightening her posture.

"No problem," he said, and smiled as well. "I'm Danny, by the way. And this is Tucker."

May nodded her greeting. "May, come on!" Sam shouted from near the stairs.

"Thanks again!" May shouted and rushed over to her cousin, giving Danny one last glance before following Sam with a smirk.

* * *

E/N: Uhm...yeah...I like where this is going :D!! 

--Airamé Phantom


	4. By the Fire

A/N: The chapter after this will be a little fluffy and will have a bit of OCXD only on my OC's part. But I'm not telling you anymroe than that. I'm a total DS shipper and ain't no OC gonna change that :3

**

* * *

**

**A Magician's Secret**

**Chapter Four**

**By the Fire**

**

* * *

**

May had settled into the guest room rather quickly, really, seeing as she hadn't brought much stuff with her. Sam let her borrow some dry PJs which were just the right size. The two cousins were pretty much equal in stature and figures after all. After a few short minutes, everyone was in bed and ready for some well-deserved sleep. Well, sort of. Sam was still a bit freaked from the thunder and resorted to using an old trick her grandmother had taught her: counting how many seconds came between thunder and lightning. It wasn't working.

"1...2...3..." Sam stopped as the thunder sounded again. She curled her body up into a fetal position on her bed and clutched the blankets. "1...2...3...4..." The lightning came up, lighting up her room in a split second and dispersing without a second thought. Her room looked eerie in that ominous white glow. Her posters of bands seem to laugh at her, mocking her phobia. "Stop laughing at me," she hissed, sat up, and tossed a pillow at the nearest poster on the wall. Just then, the thunder sounded and she collapsed back down and pulled the blankets over her head, quivering. "I hate storms..." she mumbled softly to herself.

As the thunder rolling passed for the time being, she could swear she heard the sound of a floorboard creaking beneath the weight of the living. She froze. Her eyes widened and she bolted straight up on her bed. "Okay, Sam," she mumbled to herself as the lightning struck again, soon to be accompanied by the thunder. "You're losing it," she told herself, starting to lie back down, ignoring the thunder even though she had to tense her body to keep from having her reflexes kick in.

"That was nothing," she told herself, but could swear she heard further footsteps descending the stairs to the living room. Who could it be? She brought her pillow around her ears and pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to drown out the thunder. She should have taken up on Danny's offer to sleep in his room until the storm passed. Of curse the blush on her face and his own made them quickly rethink the offer and how it sounded. She squeezed her eyes shut, mumbling before hearing another creak fo floorboards, this time sounding farther away. "Probably just Tucker…" she told herself quietly. "Maybe he just needed to get something form his backpack….or maybe he wants a glass of water….yeah….that's it…"

* * *

It was dark all around, but she found the fireplace sure enough. Sighing, she quickly struck a match located above the mantle in a small box. Throwing it into the fireplace, the fire began to grow to its previous glow when she arrived. The ember illuminated the round, ivory colored face with its red light. She shivered and crawled closer, striking the flames. She pulled the thin blanket around her shoulders tighter, staring into the flames. 

"I shouldn't have come here," she whispered into it. "I might mess things up…."

She sighed again and pulled her legs beneath her so she'd be kneeling into a more comfortable position. She closed her amethyst eyes and pursed her cheery lips, thinking this through and stroking the fire absentmindedly.

The fire seemed to creep up one corner of the blanket as it had fallen into a couple of still burning cinders. A strange warmth from near her foot sent the girl into a slight panicked state, trying to pound out the fire with her hand. The metal pole she'd used to stroke the fire fell with a clank onto the wooden floor, but at least the fire was out…

* * *

Blue eyes snapped open at the sound of something like a loud thud on the floor. He bolted straight up, brushing locks of black hair out of his face. He blinked. "What was that?" he grumbled, rubbing the sleep form his eyes. Did someone fall in the dark? Or was it just something being knocked over by an open window with wind blowing through? 

At this, his eyes shifted towards the window nearest him. The rain still slit into streams on the window, falling with their pat-pat sound. The lightning streaked the sky and the thunder roared. "Wonder if Sam's asleep…." he murmured.

The teenager flipped the blankets off of his body and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He took a moment to listen to the eerie silence before moving to stand and take the few steps that led out of the room. He opened the door in one fluid motion, the hinges not even squeaking. He stepped out and made his way to Sam's door. But a strange glow caught his attention.

The orange light seemed to be coming from downstairs. He frowned, pausing outside Sam's room. Had they left the fireplace going? No: he made sure himself that all the sparks and ashes had been smothered. Unless someone had relit the fire, there was no way it could be that. He glanced at Sam's closed door, and decided he'd check on her on his return trip.

Slowly, he began to creep down the stairs, trying hard not to make the floorboards creak beneath his feet. The fireplace gradually came into his line of vision as he descended. Along with the fiery glow came the shadow of the person bundled in front of the hearth. He blinked. "May…..?"

* * *

E/N: Thank you for reading! Oh, and I've been up-dating this story 'caue I wanna finish it soon. I want to finish all my I-know-it-will-only-have-less-than-twenty-chapters stories. That includes: Doze Corazones, When Dentists Attack, Dear Ms. Trudy, and a few otehr,s I believe. Well, thanks for reading again! 

--Airamé Phantom


End file.
